The map above (taken from MTA's Environmental Impact Report, released in May, 2001) shows the routing for the Metro Orange Line between North Hollywood Station and Warner Center, using the old Southern Pacific Burbank-Chandler right-of-way. This corridor is owned by MTA; its predecessor, the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, acquired it from SP in 1990. The map also shows the alternate alignment that was considered and rejected, using Lankershim Blvd. and Oxnard St. between North Hollywood and Valley College Stations.

The Metro Orange Line provides direct service to both Valley College and Pierce College, Van Nuys Civic Center, the Balboa/Victory park-ride lot, and the Warner Center area. It also makes connections with Metro Bus service on the high-traffic streets Laurel Canyon Blvd., Van Nuys Blvd., Sepulveda Blvd., and Reseda Blvd.

Because the Orange Line is such a high-profile bus rapid transit project, it has generated a significant amount of interest, both in the public transportation industry and among the region's population. The number of Metro documents with references to the Orange Line is overwhelming -- over 500 just as of the line's second anniversary -- and to facilitate access to those documents, this link to the Metro Board Archives will bring up all documents referring to the Orange Line, beginning with the most recent.

A number of legal challenges were made during the environmental impact report and construction.

The only Metro Local service directly replaced by the Orange Line was a portion of Line 156, which had previously been the main connection between North Hollywood Station and the Van Nuys Central Business District.

The Orange Line was extended northward to Chatsworth Metrolink Station June 30, 2012; it could also be extended eastward from North Hollywood Station to Burbank Metrolink Station, although this considered unlikely as the city of Burbank is presently using that section of the right-of-way for a landscaped bike path, and because that section is almost entirely in the median of a residential stretch of Chandler Blvd. it is widely presumed that there would be opposition to using that right-of-way for any kind of transit service.

These are the station and parking layouts for the original eleven Metro Orange Line stations, from east to west (maps taken from the Major Investment Study of November, 1999). Changes to each station's design from these concept maps are noted below each map:

The eastbound platform was moved south of the intersection and the westbound platform was moved closer to the intersection. The "transit plaza" was eliminated.

Both platforms were moved south of Oxnard St.

Not shown are the additional maps showing parking extending a half-mile east and west of the station.

Both platforms were moved farther west, adjacent to the park-ride lot.

The eastbound platform was moved east of Reseda Blvd.

Renamed Pierce College Station; the eastbound platform was moved east of Winnetka Ave.

The line was realigned December 11, 2006 to serve a twelfth station as part of a new park-ride lot on Canoga Ave. The additional parking area north of Vanowen St. was not constructed.